Gaia: We deserve better. Period.

Menstruation has been at the forefront of social, economic, political and biological issues around the world. The product, Gaia, aims at easing the logistics of menstruation.

The product consists of a hollow accordion structure. The unused products (pads/tampons) can be stored along the outer wall and the used products in the inner wall which is sealed. There is a suction cup that can be stuck to any surface. The product, Gaia, aims at easing the logistics of menstruation. After the testing and analysis of the product for utility on Earth, we aim at using this product and optimizing it for use onboard space stations and for future space missions.  By utilizing this product, we would want to optimize the safe disposal of used sanitary products.  In short, design in space for life on Earth. The ability to change menstrual products is directly affected by factors such as sanitation, amount of space required to change the product, ability to dispose of the used sanitary napkin, carrying unused sanitary napkins.  This can be used in rural areas where there is a lack of proper sanitation (rural regions), astronauts in microgravity, military situations where washrooms aren’t very accessible. With our product, we hope to provide women with an option to menstruate naturally, work, and allow for optimized waste disposal. 

The majority of young girls undergo menstruation, there is an unavailability of clean public washrooms, sanitation facilities in rural areas, inability to change sanitary pads at regular intervals whilst in schools, military training and even microgravity. Most adolescent girls (especially in rural areas) shy away from talking about menstruation, understanding safe hygienic practices, avoiding travelling during menstruation and ultimately this has a direct implication on their academics and future. This can also aid the next generation of space travel for women to look at optimized solutions for tackling menstruation. 

The current scenario presents a need for a tool or a device that could help ease the process of changing menstrual hygiene products simpler. Based on the surveys taken, most women relate to the difficulties of changing these products, especially when outdoors. The need of having to place the fresh products in the bag, or sometimes even on the floor, while removing the used product makes the entire process more difficult and unhygienic.  Eventually, public bathrooms do not provide a hygienic alternative to reasonably change the sanitary pads. Women are having to resort to either putting their entire backpack containing the pads on the floor or even directly having to keep their pads on the floor. In order to offset the issue, the device developed provides a feasible alternative to the aforementioned difficulties. The device serves as a storage for both clean and used sanitary pads, each located in their individual compartments.

The solution aims at catering for the needs of anyone who menstruates, more specifically in the context of women, gender minorities in extreme conditions (military, microgravity) such as astronauts, army generals, chiefs, rural regions (young girls who often drop out of school during menstruation), while traveling (changing sanitary products in public washrooms). Women living in rural areas often deal with menstruation and the phases of the pre-menstrual cycle with great difficulty, due to the lack of resources. In addition to that, the problems associated with the disposal of menstrual hygiene products further magnify the issues. This ultimately results in girls taking days off from school. Gaia will allow the girls to carry clean menstrual products to schools, and dispose of them momentarily as well, without having to worry about other means of safe disposal.

The product is also targeted at providing meaningful solutions to women working in harsher conditions, for instance, the military. Due to the sheer number of goods and equipment, finding the space and effort to carry menstrual products, and storing them can be taxing. This results in women carrying around used menstrual products for longer periods of time, which ultimately leads to bad odor as well. Gaia aims at providing a meaningful solution to military women, by allowing them to store clean and used products for long durations.

A survey was conducted to understand and empathize with the needs of the users. We have surveyed 200+ women/gender minorities from all walks of life, in urban and rural settings, students, professionals, doctors, women who serve in the military, flight surgeons, space organizations. 

Objectives of the survey:

• To identify the majority of the sanitary products used by women of various age groups

• The number of women who undergo premenstrual syndrome during their cycle 

• The women who choose to travel during their menstrual cycle 

• The adverse effects on one’s body due to the sanitary products 

• The number of women who can comfortably change their products in public washrooms 

• The number of women who would prefer a tool whilst changing their sanitary products

Outcomes of the survey:  

• Number of women who do not choose to travel - 70%(Need running water, washrooms, a place to change)

• Number of women who find the need for an external tool - 80% (not enough hygiene in public washrooms, military,rural regions/applicator for tampons)

• 99% of women undergo premenstrual syndrome during menstruation 

• 70% of reproductive illness is due to unhygienic methods 

• Unhygienic practices such as using unclean menstrual products are the 5th largest cause of death in females

A survey helped understand that most females from the sample size tend to use sanitary napkins as menstrual hygiene products. This made it important to focus on a product that would help dispose of used napkins and dispense clean ones. 

Gaia has been conceptualized so far as a product whose needs pertain to solving the stigma around the safe logistics and disposal of menstrual products. The results of the survey and meetings with potential users i.e. school girls via Project Neysa, and military women, have allowed us to understand the genuine need of the product and the various product features that would be useful to their own application. Thus, based on the variety of inputs, we have been able to sketch out and design a product that would have the potential of possessing all the desired features. For instance, developing a product that was capable of storing menstrual products was equally as important as developing one that could be stored within a lesser volume. 

Gaia is currently within the prototyping phase, where the packaging, storage, and manufacturing feasibilities are being put to the test. Since the product is aimed to be implemented on a large scale, the initial prototyping is a lengthy stage in order to ensure all necessary features are considered. The end of the prototyping phase would be marked by sample testing, where women from the sample size would be asked to try out the product.

It is a product development process that relies specifically on developing a sustainable, lightweight product that eases the logistics of menstruation. The technology is used to build the product consists of origami engineering to develop the outer structure and uses natural fibres to develop the product. Additionally, it provides a leak-proof, smell-proof container to dispose of the sanitary products. 

The product hasn't been launched yet but based on the survey and research data, there are lots who have shown interest in the product. 

In the military, 90% of the survey-takers wanted to opt for the product. Additionally, out of the gender minorities who took the survey, 95% (approximately 200) women opted to use the product. 

The product can be used in the context of rural, urban areas, extreme conditions, by anyone who menstruates through all walks of life. For the next year, we aim to distribute the product to 500 women. 

The primary goal is to enable manufacturing and conduct a pilot of the product to at least 500 women/gender minorities. 

Subsequently, publish the data about menstruation in extreme conditions, and further, develop products for the same. The product would also be modified for microgravity and tested simultaneously. 

The UN SDG's that are directly addressed by the product Gaia include the following: 

SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being by developing a product that eases the logistics of menstruation 

SDG 5: Gender Equality to ensure that no girl drops out of school due to menstruation, by making data about menstruation in extreme conditions available 

The two main barriers that exist are the financial and cultural barriers (taboo around menstruation). 

To develop 500 prototypes, funding would be required.

To spread awareness around menstruation, focussing more on the importance of safe disposal and hygienic practices  

Sejal Budholiya: Mechanical Engineering Final Year Undergraduate, Co-founder at Project Neysa (teaching the underprivileged performing arts)

Sejal is passionate about new product development and social impact. She has filed 4 patents for social impact products. She was the Swarovski Foundation: Creatives for our Future Cohort working on sustainable solutions. She co-founded an organization, Project Neysa, to teach the underprivileged performing arts and build products for them to better their lives. 

Aayush Bhat: Mechanical Engineering Final Year Undergraduate

Aayush is passionate about new product development and social impact. He has filed 4 patents for social impact products.

We aim to develop collaborations after the first test run of prototypes. However, currently working academic institutions, testimonials from professors at International Space University, VIT University, the military (India), flight surgeons etc.

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Menstruation has been at the forefront of social, economic, political and biological issues around the world. In many circumstances, the logistics of menstruation are not widely discussed. The idea grew out of easing the logistics for menstruation (ability to be stuck on any surface, ease of carrying, storage of used products etc). This is highly prevalent for women in rural regions, in the military/police services, in space, long duration of travel etc. A survey was conducted for 200+ women around the world, and 85% find it inconvenient to change sanitary products in public places/not sanitized places. 80% prefer not to travel during menstruation and 90% undergo premenstrual syndrome. The idea developed out of a need to aid in changing menstrual products. The idea consists of designing a tool, which will be light and sustainable and can be used by women. The product consists of a tube-like structure with an inner and outer diameter. The unused products (pads/tampons) can be stored in the outer diameters and the used products in the inner diameter which is sealed. There is a plunger at the rear end, which can be used to push the used product out into a bin. There is a suction cup that can be stuck to any surface. The tube also has a heated pad around it since more than 90% of women undergo PMS (of the 200+ women surveyed). The product, Gaia, aims at easing the logistics of menstruation. After the testing and analysis of the product for utility on Earth, we aim at using this product and optimizing it for use onboard space stations and for future space missions. There have been less than 11% women in space but the number is significantly growing. By utilizing this product, we would want to ease the logistics for women to menstruate naturally in space and optimize the safe disposal of used sanitary products.  In short, design in space for life on Earth.